Author's Rights: Copyright

In the United States, copyright is a form of legal protection for original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as research papers, articles, and books. Under U.S. copyright law, the creator of a work is automatically granted certain exclusive rights, meaning others must obtain your permission before using your work in any way. These rights include the following:

1. The right to reproduce the work. Only the copyright holder can make copies of the work, whether in print or digital form.
2. The right to distribute the work. Only the copyright holder can sell or give away copies of the work.
3. The right to perform the work publicly. Only the copyright holder can perform the work in public, such as by reading, playing, or presenting it.
4. The right to display the work publicly. Only the copyright holder can show the work in public, such as in an exhibit or gallery.
5. The right to create new works based on the original work. Only the copyright holder can make changes to the work or create new works from it.

Copyright applies to your research papers and other written works as soon as they are fixed in a tangible form, such as when you save a draft of a paper on your computer or submit it for publication. It does not cover ideas or facts.

As an author, you need to be aware that when you submit your work for publication, many publishers will require you to transfer the copyright of your work to them as a condition of publication. This means you will no longer own the copyright to your work and will have to obtain permission from the publisher to reproduce or distribute your work.

It's important for authors to be aware of the copyright laws and to read and understand the copyright agreements and licenses they sign, especially when submitting their research for publication. It's also good practice to consider alternative publishing options such as Open Access or publishing under a Creative Commons license which allows more flexibility in sharing and reusing the research work.